Monthly Archives: August 2012

I have a strange relationship with Venice, CA. There are things about it that I love: great restaurants, interesting art galleries and some shopping that would be enticing if I had any money. I love the colors of the city: a building can be painted “Easter Egg Blue” or “Ashes of Roses” and fit with the theme. These are all big pluses and huge draws.

The bohemian element alternately entices and repels depending on exactly how bohemian and whether or not I’ve found parking. What can I say; I can get cranky.

This summer I have attempted to explore more of the area. Even if I live in Los Angeles 20 years, I’ll always feel like a tourist in Venice. This morning that meant grabbing some nosh and watching that tiny bit of the world awaken.

On the third Sunday of every month, Campanile holds a large-scale wine tasting. Approximately 30 wines are available for sampling, along with a little bit of food to keep you steady (and it’s excellent). According to their website, the best of these sampled wines will be available on their wine list in the weeks following that particular tasting.

This was my first time at Campanile (Pen knows all the great places I need to try). The restaurant space is gorgeous– I was really taken by the design and the feel of the place. Now that I’ve had a sampling, I definitely want to go back for a full meal some time soon.

This Sunday’s tasting was billed as “Australia Rediscovered.” There were 10 tables set up with a wide variety of options (taste-wise, as well as price-wise) with the pours offered by K&L. In addition to discovering Campanile for the first time, I discovered the 2007 Turkey Flat Grenache Barossa Valley. I thought it was tremendous and the expert on hand doing the pours said that the source vines were more than 90 years old. It was very smooth. I personally thought there was a lot of “berry” going on, but I’ll let you try it and make up your own mind.

The next tasting isn’t until September 16, but if you are into wines from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico, get your tickets now.

Nestled amidst the shops and fabulous restaurants in Venice is an art gallery that you might miss if you aren’t paying close attention. The place is small and unassuming, but it boasts a selection of photographs at the moment that you don’t want to miss—particularly if you are a fan of 1970s/1980s music. Photographer Brad Elterman has an exhibit up showcasing rock star photos (literally) from locales around Los Angeles.

The prints are for sale, and, as these things go, not outrageously priced. Of course, I’m a broke girl wandering the city, so my checkbook wouldn’t do much good in this situation. Still, there is a candid of Duran Duran that one of my friends would die for (or at least she would have at 16)! Joan Jett’s photo made me laugh and the photo of the Grease after-party made me feel like I was watching fame happen (the awkward crush of people surrounding the leads is uncomfortable, yet compelling).

The exhibition is open until mid-September, so the next time you are strolling through the streets of Venice, be sure to stop.

All the paintings in Il Vecchio were pained in Queens, NY in 1941. The chairs were collected from all across the country (the restaurant has a message up above the door that mentions that some were built as far back as 1840). You have to love the ambiance.

I’ll admit that this is a place I never would have found on my own. I had gone to the tasting room for Carmel Ridge Winery (700 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA) and got into conversation with the men running the tasting room (highly unusual for me, I know). Pablo asked me where I was headed for dinner, and when I told him I had no plans, he recommended Il Vecchio (http://ilvecchiorestaurant.com/). Because I didn’t know the area, I was initially reluctant to make dinner plans in Pacific Grove, thinking that it was too far away, etc. Not so!

I went pretty traditional with my choices. I had tagliolini alla carbonara which I quite liked and a tiramisu that put a smile on my face (Pablo also highly recommended the pollo con marsala). The wine was excellent and plentiful (“sad” girl dining alone bonus pour!), and I was sat in a section that had windows overlooking the water. To top it all off, the service was terrific—friendly and helpful without being intrusive.

As a tip: do make reservations for the restaurant because even if the tourists don’t know it exists, the locals definitely do.

Enjoy!

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